Slitter



J. F. PETERS July 12, I932.

SLITTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22. 23

VFNTOR ATTORNEY J. F. PETERS July 12, 1932.

SLITTER Filed Mafch 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEQHLQFR Y; L M G. W ATTORNEY Patented Jul 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFmE JOHN F. PETERS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB T AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF JERSEY Application filed March 22, 1928. Serial No. 263,873-

Ihis invention relates to slitting machines of the rotary type and more particularly to such a slitter designed to out sheets of metal such as tin plate and the like into narrow strips orsmaller units. It is necessary in cutting sheets of tin plate into narrow strips or smaller units, such as collar band strips, that the cutter knives be narrow, and that such a collar band strip is 0 only about five-eighths of an inch wide. This,

' which of course, means that the rubber feed rings usually provided on the cutter rollers be disensed with. Similar means must, therefore, e provided to feed the sheet of tin plate through the machine, and in such a machlne it is desirable to have means provided for stacking the cut strips coming from the machine.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rotary cutter which will cut a sheet of tin plate, and the like, into a plurality of narrow strips or units.

It is a further object to provide means to replace the usual feed rollers in such a machine.

Another object is to provide a novel stacking device which will permit the easy removal of the stacked strips from the machine.

A' still further object is to attach such a stacking and feeding device in a manner ermits ready access to the cutter knives or inspection, repair and sharpening, etc.

Another object is to provide means which will direct the cut strips to the magazines.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from thefollowing description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embdyingmy invention .11 are mounted u on upper and lower cutter .the upper cutter bar. One end of the stub Fig. 2 is a cross section through the cutting, feeding and stacking parts of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the driving means for the feed rollers, which are on the side hidden in Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is across section of the stacking. mechanism, taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a strip such as is cut by my machine;

In general, my machine comprises a plurality of narrow cutter knives 11 mounted in a suitable frame 12, a base 13 being pro vided to support the main frame 12. I provide feed rollers 14 which are mounted in a sub-frame 15 secured to the main frame'12 in such a way that the cutter knives 11 are easily accessible. I also utilize the feed rollers 14 to direct the cut 'strips or units to magazines 16 carried by the sub-frame whereby the cut strips 17 are positioned in a stacked formation.

In detail, narrow face rotary cutting knives bars or shafts 18 Journalled in fixed bearings in the frame 12. A gear 19 is attached to one end of the upper cutter bar 18 and meshes with an idler gear 21 mounted upon a stub shaft'22 fixed in the frame 12. A gear 23 is attached to one end of the lower cutter bar 18 and meshes with a gear 24 mounted upon a stub shaft 25 which is driven by a sprocket 26. The gear 24 also meshes with and drives the idler gear 21 which drives the gear '19 of shaft 25 is journall ed in a bearing 27 formed in a bracket 28 bolted to the main frame 12,- the other end being journalled in a bearing in the main frame itself. The sprocket 26 is driven by a chain 29 preferably of the silent chain type, the chain being driven by a sprocket 31 driven by a motor 32 supported upon a'platform 33 on the base 13.

As previously described, the feed rollers 14" are mounted in a hub-frame 15 and I so arrange them that they will perform two functions, viz, that of feed rollers and that of guiding the cut strips to the magazines. There is one set of feed rollers mounted upon a shaft 34 which is journalled in fixed bearings 35 in the sub-frame. The rollers are assembled upon the shaft so that cooperating rollers are of different diameters. A second set of rollers are mounted upon a shaft 36 journalled in bearings 37, the bearings 37 being adjustably mounted in the sub-frame. This second set of rollers is assembled in the same way as the first set and when the two sets are in place, large rollers on one set cooperate with small rollers on the second set, and large rollers on the second set cooperate with small rollers on the first set.

At one end the shaft 36 carries apinion gear 38 which meshes with a pinion 39 mounted near one end of the shaft 34. The shaft 34 carries a second pinion gear 41 secured at its end. The pinion 41 engages an idler gear 42 which is mounted upon a stub shaft 43 fixed in the frame 12. This idler gear meshes with a gear 44 mounted upon the end of the lower cutter bar shaft 18.

In operation, a sheet of tin plate 45 is fed between guides 46 secured to the frame 12 and through the cutter knives 11 into engagement with the feed rollers 14. These pull the sheet on through the cutter knives and direct the cut strips to the magazine compartments '47, each alternate strip being directed into a lower magazine 48, the others being directed mto an upper magazine 49 (Fig. 4).

The magazines 16 are removably supported on the sub-frame 15, each being divided into a number of longitudinal compartments 47. It is to be noted that the upper magazine 49 is supported upon the lower magazine 48 in such a way that the compartments of the upper magazine 49 overlap the compartments of the lower magazine 48, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The upper magazine 49 is provided p with pins 51 which fit into slots 52 cut in plates 53 which are secured to the sides of the lower magazine 48. Each magazine has finger slots 54 provided, extending transversely of'the lower ends, the upper magazine uncovering the slots 54 in the lower magazine. These slots facilitate the easy removal of the cut strips from the magazines.

It is necessary to sharpen the cutter knives at various intervals during their use. To

facilitate this, and to render them readily accessible, the sub-frame'lo is pivoted to the frame 12 by a hinge connection '55, the hinge pin being mounted in a bracket 56on the main frame 12. Dotted lines in Fig. 2 show the position of the sub-frame when it is rotated out of the way. Before this is done, it is, of course, necessary to remove the upper magazine 16 from the sub-frame, the lower magazine 16 being secured to the sub-frame 15. It is thought that this invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, theform hereinbefore described being merely a preferred emfrom the lower roller.

v 3. In combination, rotary slitting means, a plurality of removable stacking magazines positioned one above another, each magazine comprising a plurality of compartments and having finger holds to facilitate the removal of contents, and a plurality of rollers, the adjacent pairs of rollers being adapted to direct strips to the upper and lower magazine compartments respectively.

-4. In a rotary slitter, in combination a plurality of narrow rotary cutter knives, a plurality of magazines positioned one above another, each magazine comprisin a plurality of stacking compartments and liavlng recesses at one end comprising finger holds to facilitate the removal of the contents therefrom, and a plurality of feed rollers disosed between the knives and the magazines, said feed rollers being adapted to draw 'uncut sheets through said knives and distribute cut strips to the several said compartments.

5. In a rotary slitter, in combination a plurality of narrow rotary cutter knives, a plurality of removable magazines positioned one above another, each magazine comprisin a plurality of stacking compartments an having recesses at one end comprising finger holds to facilitate the removal of the contents therefrom, and a plurality of feed rollers disposed between the knives and the magazines, said feed rollers being adapted to draw uncut sheets through said knives and distrib- 'ute cut strips to the several said compart ments, said feed rollers and magazines being carried in a frame adapted to be rotatably removed from adjacent relationship to the cutting blades. I

6. In a rotary slitter, in combination a of cutter knives, a plurality offrame, a plurality of rotary cutter knives mounted therein, a sub-frame pivotally attached to said frame and being adapted for rotatable movement to expose said cutter knives, a plurality of removable magazines supported by said sub-frame, and a plurality of feed rollers mounted in said sub-frame, one of said rollers being carried in adjustable relationship to the other, said rollers being adapted to direct cut strips to the several magazines.

7. The combination in a rotary slitter, of a frame a plurality of rotary cutter knives mounted therein, a sub-frame pivotally attached to said frame, said sub-frame being adapted for rotary movement to expose said cutter knives, a plurality of removable magazines supported by said sub-frame and positioned one above another, each of said magazines comprising a plurality of longitudinal stacking compartments, and a plurality of feed rollers mounted in said sub-frame,'one set of rollers being adjustable with relation to another set of rollers, alternate pairs of rollers being of unequal size, said rollers being adapted to pull uncutsheets through the said knives and to direct cut strips to the several stacking compartments. r

8. In a machine for cutting sheet stock into smaller units, in combination, a pin rality of cutting rolls, a plurality of sets of cooperating feeding rolls, a plurality of stacking magazines arranged at superposed levels adjacent said feeding rolls, the cooperating rolls of each set of feeding rolls being of a different diameter, alternating upper and lower, to distribute said units in equal numbers in said magazine.

9. In a machine for cutting sheet metal into smaller units, in combination, means for cutting a sheet of metal into smaller units, feeding means arranged in back of said cutting means for engaging and delivering said units at alternately different levels anda plurality of stacking magazines at different levels to receive said units.

10. In a machine for cutting sheet stock, in combination, a plurality of means for cutting said stock into smaller unit-s of predetermined and uniform size, a pair of magazines for receiving and stacking said out units, and a plurality of feeding means arranged between said cutting means and said magazines and adapted to feed alternate units in equal numbers to'each of said magazines.

11. In a machine for cutting sheet stock, in combination, means for cutting said stock into smaller units of predetermined and uni form size, a plurality of magazines arranged in difl'erent planes and a plurality of feeding means adjacent to said magazines and adapted to feed alternate units to each of said magazines. l

12. In a machine for cutting sheet stock,

in combination, means for cutting said stock into smaller units, a magazine for receiving and stacking said out units, feeding means for conveying uncut stock through said cutting means and for delivering said out units to said magazine, and means ror incvin said feeding means bodily away from sai cut ting means to provide access to said cutting means.

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